Todd Rollings: Artax Entertainment

Strengthing the Punk Network: Todd Rollings.

Todd Rollings has, over the last seven years, developed his own music promotions company, Artax Entertainment which works to promote both local national and international punk and hardcore acts in Perth.

Todd started working in the local music industry in 2000 after having been a punter during his teens. He was one third of eightysixmusic for two years: “Eightysix was a good place to cut my teeth but it was never going to last forever with three guys all doing very similar jobs in what was our small office at The Grosvenor Hotel.”

He continues: “I decided to have a crack at more work on my own as did Adam, who is now running the very successful Annhilate Music.”

So in 2001, he left and started Artax Entertainment: “I have found it fantastic from the start. The amount of lifelong friends I have made from all over the country and the world is something very few industries offer.”

Todd books many gigs for Perth punk and hardcore acts Change of Face, The Critics and Grim Fandango. Until recently he was also booking gigs for Eleventh He Reaches London.

“I [also] put on shows every few weeks and am often attending other shows when I am not at my own. I run a new band night at the GBT in Joondalup on Monday nights helping new bands get a start.”

He continues: “I’ve also worked on radio shows Fists of Fury and Burn The Airwaves at RTRFM on and off for the past eight years trying to promote local and national talent.”

He says he places a lot of focus on not just helping Perth bands to get known over east but bringing national and international acts to Perth as well.

“As the local scene is in very fine hands, it is important to keep the network alive and healthy to allow our local talent to make moves over east and even over seas.”

And it is those networks which have been helpful in getting Perth acts over east; something Todd says is never easy: “But, it has come along way in the last eight years due to networks established by local promoters.

He continues: “A band may come over here and get on well with a local act and before you know it they are sharing the stage in Melbourne a few months later.”

Todd says in the next 12 months he would like to bring more national and international bands to Perth along with another Artax By The Sea. More immediately though he is working on new projects for Sydney’s Resist Records

“[They] were one of the first promoters willing to give us a go with touring international acts to WA when we had Against Me! a few years ago.”

He continues: “They’ve since come back three more times in what has proved to many what a viable market WA is for bands of all sizes. As for the next few months we’ll have bands from Tasmania, Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney hitting up Perth not to mention a handful of internationals in the form of The Gaslight Anthem an Ignite which should be fantastic.”